Where The Love Lies
by MeGkAtHeRiNe
Summary: Sequel to Hotch's Baby. Life with three children up in the secluded mountains is but nothing of a dream with two newly weds.
1. Chapter 1

Colby's big brown eyes looked up to his mother, his hands going out and lifting themselves into the air. "Mama!"

Emily looked down to her son with a sigh, watching as the now small one year old clenched his fists together the way they did when he was saying goodbye to someone. "Sweetheart hold on one moment, ok? Mommy has to finish making your food so Aunt Penny knows what to feed you." She set the jar of pureed chicken and peas into the fridge before running over to the playpen, scooping the young boy up and into her arms.

She smiled when he immediately laid his head on her shoulder, and she gently rubbed her hand on the small child's back. "I promise when me and daddy get back from Dr. Robbers that we'll have a nice bath before watching a movie with your older brother, ok?" Her eyes went to the front door when she heard the doorbell ring, and her footsteps were as she raced to the foyer. Her free hand pulled open the front door, her doe eyes darkening when she saw the unexpected woman standing on her doorstep. "Jessica. What a surprise."

The blond gave a grimace when the older woman appeared to greet her. "Emily Prentiss. Hello."

"Its actually Emily Hotchner now."

Jessica's eyes widened, her jaw dropping open as the older woman's lips curled upward into a smile. "Hotchner? Since when?"

Emily smiled wickedly, feeling Colby's skinny little legs wrap around her waist as the blond woman's brown eyes bore into hers. "Since four months ago, actually. So sorry you couldn't make it."

"Well seeing as how you never invited me."

Emily bit her lip, giving a small shrug of the shoulders. "Well, having you show up drunk to your own father's funeral with us all there, including Hotch and I's three children, we didn't think you'd be the best guest to have at the happiest moment of our life."

Jessica gave a roll of the eyes. "Its not like I hurt anybody."

"You almost hurt my son with a knife! I tried to get it away from you, which caused me to get three stitches on the palm of my hand!"

Jessica glared towards the older woman. "Your son?"

"Mommy!"

Emily's head spun, smiling as she watched Jack racing from the bottom of the staircase to meet her at the door. Luckily she was all ready for him, so when he came barreling into her legs, she didn't fall over. With her hand stroking the young boy's head and feeling his arms around her leg, she looked back up to the blond with a defeating smile. "Yes. My son."

Aaron made his way down the steps of his house, fixing the cuff of his suit jacket with his eyes facing the floor beneath him to make sure there were no scuff marks on his newly polished floor. "Em, is Penelope here yet? We need to get going so we don't miss our appointment." He made it as far as the coat closet before looking up, his shocked eyes widening when he saw the head of his ex's sister's head popping up over his wife's shoulder. "Jessica?"

Jessica smiled over to the older man. "Hi there Aaron."

"What are you doing here?"

Emily moved out of the way so her husband could fit in the doorway with her, squishing a small Jack between them. "She came over to say hello, which is done." Her dark eyes bore into the blonde's, feeling her anger rising inside of her. "Now she's leaving."

"I'm not leaving."

Aaron gave a small sigh, taking Colby from his wife's arms and setting him on his hip. "I think its best you go, Jessica."

The blond looked to her sister's ex husband with sad eyes. "Aaron..."

"I don't feel like putting Emily and I's children in danger right now, Jessica."

Emily grinned to the woman before her, feeling a scared Jack's arms wrapping tighter around her with every word that was being spoken. "As I was saying. Goodbye Jessica."

…

The dark haired couple practically raced through the doors and into their therapist's office, their doctor smiling as they sat themselves on the couch as quick as they could. Dr. Robbers gave a small nod to the couple once they were situated, hearing their heavy breaths enter the air around him. "Hello Mr. and Mrs. Hotchner. Everything ok today?"

Emily sighed as she looked to the older man sitting in the chair across from her, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "Sorry we're a little late."

"Its been a little hectic this morning."

Emily nodded, agreeing with her husband's statement. "Matthew, our oldest, is sick with the flu so we couldn't let him babysit. So we had to call my best friend to come and watch both Jack and Colby, but of course she was a little late. And when I answered the door because I thought she had arrived, it was Jessica Brooks, who," she rolled her eyes, "you'd rather not know about."

Dr. Robber's silver eyes narrowed, his eyebrows scrunching. "The woman who almost dropped the knife near Jack at the funeral?"

Emily bit her lip to keep her boiling anger inside. "No. The woman who, if she would have dropped the knife, would have stabbed our son all because she decided to get drunk before the funeral of her father."

Aaron scooted closer to his wife, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and giving a kiss to her temple to shush her. "Calm down, sweetheart."

The doctor looked at the couple, watching as Emily took a deep breath, nodding softly as her husband whispered calming words into her ear. "Alright then. Shall we get started?"

Aaron smiled as best he could to the therapist. "Yes please."


	2. Chapter 2

The brunette couple walked out of the therapist's office hand in hand, Emily's wedding ring clanking softly against her husband's as they made their way to their car. "So why don't we head on home for an hour or two before you have to go to your meeting?"

Hotch nodded his head, opening the door to the passenger seat for the younger woman. "Yeah ok. Lets stop for some more of Matthew's medicine before we go back though, ok? He's been throwing up all morning."

Emily smiled to herself as the older man made his way around to the driver's side of the car. Matthew's adoptive parents had died in a tragic house fire not five months ago, along with all of his brothers and sisters that had lived with his whole life. It took only a month for Emily and Hotch to get custody of the teenager and bring him and his stuff over to their house in Virginia. Despite the tramatic event of his family passing away, Matthew had melded pretty well with his new life, even going back to calling Emily 'mom' and once in a while calling Hotch 'dad'.

He had come down with flu-like symptoms only a week or so ago, causing Emily to stay home from work with him and Colby, who hated staying at the FBI daycare center when he had to.

Hotch had been treating the teenager just like he was his own, sending his brunette wife over the moon.

"He hasn't eaten anything in the past three days, Aaron."

The older man gave a nod, pulling out of the parking space. "That's because everything he eats gets thrown back up."

Emily let out a sigh, laying her head back against the headrest. "Yeah. Maybe we can just pick up some crackers and another loaf of bread. We still have some cans of soup left up at the house."

The couple took only twenty minutes to get back up the mountain after running to the supermarket and the pharmacy, parking the car in their driveway before making their way onto the porch.

Emily slowly cupped her husband's elbow, making him turn to her before unlocking their front door. She smiled as he looked down to her with his eyebrows scrunched, and she used her toes to reach up and press a kiss to his lips. "I love you."

Hotch smiled, running his hand smoothly over the brunette's dark hair. "Love you too, Em." The older man turned the key in the lock, then quickly undoing the deadbolt before opening the front door. His eyes widened when he saw almost every one of his friends standing in his living room, their hands shooting up in the air when they saw him.

"SURPRISE!"

The brunette man's jaw dropped as the lights flickered on, all of the party decorations coming into view. "...What is all of this?"

Emily smiled up to her husband, leading him inside before closing and locking the front door. "Sweetheart you don't remember?" She cupped his cheeks in the palms of her hands when he glanced down to her. "Its been exactly six months to the day that you've been sober."

Matthew quickly came up to the couple with Colby in his arms and Jack at his side. The three boys ignored the chatter from behind them as they looked to their parents. "Congratulations dad."

Hotch smiled, taking his youngest son from Matthew's arms. "Thank you." He gave a small frown, noticing the dress shirt the teenager was wearing, along with his appearance nice and tidy. "You don't look as sick as you did a couple of hours ago, Matt. Care to explain?"

The teenager shook his head. "Nope."

Jack raised his hands in the air as he jumped, trying his best to get his father's attention. "Way to go, daddy!"

Hotch smiled down to the young boy, bending to give a kiss to his forehead. "Thank you, Jack."

Emily bit her lip, looking to her baby boy in her husband's arms and softly thumbing at his cheek. "Isn't there something you want to say to daddy, Colby?"

Their youngest looked to his father with his big brown eyes, smiling as he squished the older man's cheeks together. "Dada!"

Jack followed his parents as they made their way to the living room to greet the rest of the guests, and he quickly glanced up to his older brother. "Mattie?"

"What's up, Jack?"

The blond boy slid the tip of his forefinger against his two front teeth. "Daddy's not gonna hurt mommy again, right?"

Matthew looked down to the young boy, who he considered his brother, and gave a small shake of the head. He bent down to his level, putting a smile on his face and ruffling the younger boy's blond hair. "Daddy won't hurt mommy again."

Jack smiled. "Ok!" He looked over to his parents to make sure they weren't listening before jumping in his spot, a grin on his face as he looked back to his brother. "Can we get the cake now?"

Matthew grinned to the younger boy, giving him a high five. "I think we can."

Emily smiled as she watched her father on the couch with her youngest son, her head turning when she felt a tap on her shoulder. "Reid, hey!"

Spencer nodded, smiling to the older woman as he held his soda in his hand. "Hey. Thanks for inviting me, Emily. This is really a nice thing to do for Hotch."

Emily tilted her head, looking to the younger man with soft eyes. "Spence, you're Aaron's sponsor and Aaron and I's friend. Of course you'd be invited." She smiled as she watched his eyes travel around the room. "So do you like the party?"

"Oh yeah. There are no drinks and nothing around here seems to be an influence." He let out a sigh. "As long as Derek doesn't bring anything up."

The brunette woman let her eyebrow raise. "Come on, he's not that stupid."

…

Hotch slowly walked through the entrance door of the joint not an hour after his party, his nose immediately taking in the familiar smell of smoke and sex. He made his way over to his usual seat, looking towards the woman behind the counter before setting his sullen face in the palms of his hands. "Scotch on the rocks. No twist."


	3. Chapter 3

The forty year old man sighed as he slowly closed the front door to his home, tiptoeing inside the large cabin and through the foyer. He bent down and opened his and Emily's secondary safe below one of the end table's in the living room and set his keys and wallet inside and quickly plugging in the code.

"Daddy?"

Hotch's head spun, standing up slowly and smiling t the young boy that stood at the bottom of the darkened staircase. "Hey bud. What are you doing up?"

Jack gave a shrug, walking up to his father in his footy pajamas and hugging his small arms around the older man's leg. "Mommy is sleeping, but the fire is still on."

Hotch looked to the living room, his eyebrows raising when he saw the barely there fire still going in the pit. "Hold on one minute, buddy." He quickly made his way over to the fireplace and took the cup that usually sat on the floor full of water to put out the burning embers. After making sure the metal cage that blocked anyone from getting into the fireplace was locked, Hotch got back on his feet and made his way back to his son. "Come on Jack, I'll take you back to bed, ok?"

Jack nodded, taking his father's hand and dragging him up the staircase and into his bedroom. He quickly scrambled under his Spiderman covers, laying his head down on his pillow and looking over to his dad. "Why did you leave, daddy?"

The older man sat on the side of his son's bed, running his hand over the young boy's blond hair. "I just needed to go out and think for a while, bud. Did you take good care of mom when I was out?"

The small boy nodded his head, smiling up to his father. "She had lots of dinner when everyone was still here. But then they left, and mommy sat on the couch with Colby for a long time."

Hotch looked to the blond boy with curious eyes. "What did mommy and Colby do?"

"They just sat there and talked a lot."

Hotch nodded slowly, bending down and laying a kiss to his son's forehead. "Get to bed, ok? I think mommy wants to take you to the park tomorrow."

Jack scrunched up his nose, looking up to the older man on his bedside. "You smell bad, daddy."

The older man gave a short nod of the head, making his way out of his son's room. "Thanks for that, bud."

Hotch quickly made his way down the hall and into his bedroom, softly closing the door behind him and glancing over to the king sized bed. He felt his heart ache at the sight of the beautiful brunette woman that lay on her side of the bed, her hands curling into the pillow she lay on and give a soft snore.

How could he go behind the love of his life's back and do the one thing that he knew she hated most about him? He really didn't know the answer to that.

The brunette man gave himself a few good mental kicks to himself as he changed into his pajamas and made his way into the master bathroom to brush his teeth. He took a good two minutes before emerging through the doorway and quietly making his way into the bed, setting a small kiss to his wife's hair and getting himself settled.

Emily's eyes slowly blinked themselves open before turning onto her back, gazing through the darkness and finding a warm body laying beside her. "Hey sweetie."

Hotch gave a small grunt before turning to face the younger woman, smiling to his wife as he lay back against his pillow. "Hey. Why are you up?"

"I felt the kiss you gave me," she whispered. "Where'd you go during the party? Jack was trying to find you for about an hour." She felt herself smile as she thought back to what her son had done earlier that day. "He thought you two were playing a big game of hide and seek."

Hotch shook his head, running his fingers down the younger woman's pale cheek and watching as her eyelids fluttered. "I just had to go and think for a while, you know? Everyone congratulating me on my sobriety... It just got a little overwhelming."

Emily felt herself nod, reaching up and setting a kiss to her husband's lips. "I understand, honey. Why don't you try and get some sleep now, ok? We have a big day tomorrow."

"Gotcha."

Emily watched as the older man turned his back to her, and she sat herself up on her elbow and softly scratched at his back. She gave a sigh, feeling her libido slowly die down as she felt a familiar scent enter the air around her. "Aaron?"

Hotch closed his eyes, nodding against his pillow. "Yes dear?"

"Did you happen to go and think at the bar?"

The older man immediately sat up in his spot, turning around and glared down to the shocked looking woman at his side. "Excuse me? What the hell are you talking about?"

Emily shook her head, cautiously sitting herself up and giving a slow smile to her husband. "Its just a question, Aaron."

"Well why ask it?"

The brunette woman gave a raise of the eyebrow, her facial muscles tightening when she saw the rage in the older man's eyes. "Why are you getting so defensive if you have nothing to hide?"

Hotch glared at the younger woman beside him. "What the hell do you think of me, Emily? That I can't control myself? My obsessions? My addictions? Well I'll tell you what Emily. I haven't had a drink in six months because I can't stand thinking of what I did to you when I was drunk!"

Emily felt her voice raise as she tried to hold her ground, much to her dismay. "Then why do you smell and taste like scotch, Aaron? Huh?" She watched as his eyes darkened, and she knew she had him. "I can't believe you!"

Hotch shook his head before getting out of the bed, throwing the covers down to the foot of the bed and took his robe from the back of the closet door. "I don't need to take this. I'm sleeping downstairs on the couch."

"Aaron, come back to be-"

"NO!"

Emily felt herself shrink back into the pillows, watching with watering eyes as her husband stormed his way out of the room with his pillow and the extra blanket that usually lay on the trunk that sit at the foot of their bed. "Goodnight to you too."


	4. Chapter 4

Emily let out a huff as she buttoned up her shirt, glancing into the mirror and musing her freshly curled hair before making her way out of the bedroom. Her bare feet slapped against the hardwood stairs before she jumped over the baby gate, smiling softly to Matthew playing with Colby in the living room before walking through the dining room to make her way into the kitchen.

Her smile faded when she saw her husband leaning against the island in the kitchen, his hands holding the newspaper before his eyes. She put on her best poker face as she ventured into the kitchen, ignoring him completely once he looked up and walked over to the cupboard.

Hotch watched as his wife reached up on her toes and reach for one of the glasses, her shirt riding up and showing the milky skin of her bare back. "Morning Em."

The brunette spun around, passing the older man once more to make her way to the refrigerator. She took out the cranberry juice and quickly poured it into her cup, filling it halfway, before setting the container back.

"Did you sleep ok?"

She took a sip of the red liquid, feeling it slide down her throat before setting the cup onto the kitchen table and taking out a box of cereal.

Hotch let out a sigh, rubbing his fingers against his forehead and setting his paper down. "Emily, I'm so sorry. You know th-"

"No." Emily's head whipped around, her fingers practically crushing the cardboard of the cereal box. "I don't know anything anymore, do I? I didn't know that you've been cheating your family and yourself, and going out and drinking while you're suppose to be getting sober! I don't understand, Aaron. What could have possibly thrown you over the edge and made you lose all of your common sense?" She angrily bit into her lip, shifting her weight from one foot to the other when the older man just stared in her direction. "I'd really like an answer, here!"

"I don't know! Ok?" His teeth grit as the younger woman rolled her eyes, her scowl quickly returning just afterwards. "I can't help this! You have no idea how hard it is to stop something that is so fucking addicting!"

Emily let out a groan, setting the cereal box onto the island counter. "That's why its called an addiction, Aaron."

The older man ran his fingers through his hair. "Its not easy, Emily. I was trying my hardest."

"Oh I'm sure you were.'

Aaron's eyes flared, taking the glass he had been drinking from and threw it right across the room. "Would you just listen to me!"

Emily flinched as the glass slammed and shattered against the wall, tiny shards flying all around as she looked over to her husband with wide eyes. "Are you insane? You could have taken my head off!"

"You won't listen to me!" He felt angry tears enter his eyes as he pointed his finger towards his wife. "You just don't understand, Emily. You don't understand how hard this is and how everybody is counting on me to get through it and to get better. I don't know how to get better! Reid did it, but he still struggles. I don't know how to pass this first stage, Em. Its not something that just goes away."

Emily bit her lip, shaking her head slightly as she closed her eyes. "Aaron I know this isn't something that will just go away. I know that. But you can't just work at it for a short time and think its gonna all of a sudden get better. You have an illness, Aaron. Its going to be a life long struggle, and I'm willing to stand beside you in it."

Aaron moved forward and gently set his hands on the brunette's hips. "Em..."

The younger woman shook her head, moving away from her husband's hands and gently wiping the back of her hand against her nose. "I love you, and I am willing to stand by you." She let out a shaky breath, her eyes glued to his before pointing back to the broken glass. "But this? This is something that needs to stop and now, because I'm not putting my children in danger of this bullshit. They get hurt, and I promise you that you'll get hurt."

"I swear, Emily. I'm not gonna do it again."

Emily let a tear roll down her cheek, shaking her head. "That's what you said when you hit me." She tilted her head, watching as the older man crumbled under her stare. "Its not really true, is it?"

Aaron let out a faint cry, the thought of his family leaving him overwhelming fully. "I can try, Em. I don't want to hurt you."

She shook her head, making her way towards the kitchen doorway. "You already did."


	5. Chapter 5

Colby looked around the room from his spot in his mother's lap, his big brown eyes glancing towards his brothers that tried to figure out a puzzle on the living room floor. He let his fists gently hit against his tiny thighs, his eyes loking over to his father who stood in the corner near the entrance to the library.

The young boy tilted his head, watching as his father seemed to wipe something from his cheeks, his hands clenched into fists. "Dada?"

Emily held her son closer to her chest, turning his tiny body around so he couldn't see his father anymore. "Daddy's a little busy right now, baby. Why won't you watch some tv with mommy?"

Colby's plump little lips sloppily pressed against his mother's chest before laying his head down, earning a chuckle from his brunette mother.

Emily smiled against her son's thick hair before pressing a kiss to his head, her arms wrapping around his tiny body before glancing back up to the television. "I love you too, Colby."

The tiny one year old never lifted his head from his head from his mother's warm chest as his eyes once again looked towards his father. His mother wasn't very good at hiding things, especially from the son she had given birth to not that long ago. He had her instinct, knowing when something was bothering the ones who loved and cared for him.

Colby looked to his father, watching as he turned and hit his hands against the living room wall. Both of his brothers looked up from the puzzle, Matthew gently telling the middle child to look away and quickly get back to the puzzle they were trying to complete.

His eyes continued to stare in his father's direction, his baby lips pouting as he heard the small cry that spilled from the older man's mouth. Everyone knew better than to try and talk to the brunette man when he got upset, but as Colby watched his father break down in the corner, his tiny body began to wiggle.

Emily shook her head at the silent demand of her son, pulling his small body back against her. "No sweetie."

Colby's big eyes looked up to his mother, his lips pouting.

"Oh don't you use that cuteness on me, Mister."

Colby let out a small cry, his fists hitting against his mother's chest as he tried to get down.

Emily frowned at the squirming boy in her lap. "Colby, cut it out. Your daddy needs to be by himself right now, ok?" She sighed as the one year old continued to fuss. "Stop it, Colby. You can see your daddy later."

Hotch quickly made his way over to the couch, tears tracking down his face as he knelt in front of the brunette pair on the couch. "I can hold him."

Emily shook her head. "No, Aaron."

"Em, please."

The brunette let her eyelids flutter as the tears began to flood. "I don't want you to hold him right now. You're dealing with something."

Hotch gave a small shake of the head. "You think I'm gonna hurt him."

Emily grimaced. She knew it wasn't a question. "You've just been under a lot of stress, and I-"

"Emily..."

The brunette let out a cry as she tried to hold the struggling one year old in her lap. She hesitantly gave a nod, letting the older man gently pry their son from her shaky arms.

Hotch smiled as best he could as he bounced his son on his hip. "Hey there buddy. You wanted to come to daddy, didn't you?"

Colby almost immediately stopped fussing, looking up to the man who held him in his arms. He quickly leaned closer to his father, pressing a quick kiss against his lips and wrapping his tiny arms around his strong neck.

Emily clasped a hand over her mouth, hiding her quivering lips from her family before rushing from the living room and up the stairs.


End file.
